Strategic Earth Penetrator RSP-101 test at the Tonopah Test Range

Digging through the DOE FOIA, I came across this report:
Strategic Earth Penetrator

Basically, rocket delivery of a bunker buster. As usual, this comprised everything but the nuke. The test was done on September 28, 1988. The last notation on the document is in 2007. There is no indication when the document was declassified.

The report specified the target location, but not the actual point of impact. However, based on images in the report and google earth, you can tell it hit at
37°32'21.01"N 116°33'59.93"W

When there is a road on the satellite imagery that is not on the map, it usually leads to a mine or a crash site. Well at least in the Nevada dessert. On the Nellis range, it can also be a bomb test.

For recovery operations, there is often a staging area downstream from the point of impact. This is for basic logistics to support the recovery without being in the way of the investigation. There is a potential staging area to the west of the point of impact.

I see no impact at 37°32'21.01"N 116°33'59.93"W

I see a hilltop instrumentation or camera pad.

I don't see signs of them digging a big hole to dig up a test weapon
it must not have gone deep.

You would also be able to see the changes in the earth surface from the weathering of the impact area by going to the clock face(show historical imagery) at the top of the Google earth page and rolling back the image to in this case April 22 2006
When you go back in this case there is no changes.

When you bring up the historical imagery date bar and slowly go back and forth you see no changes from photo to photo.

I use satellite imagery for looking at the earth surface for mining.
I have found a lot of neat tricks on Google earth.

I have even got lucky and caught friends on days they were at there mine because there truck appeared and disappeared.

If you want to see this affect try 37º 13' 43.56"N 115º 48' 37.10 W and watch the building appeared and disappear

reply to post by ANNED


Did you download the document? Look at pdf page 18. for the layout The target is given on pdf page 32.

I checked the image history, but it only goes back to 2006. You would google earth to show the land prior to the test, i.e. before 1988.